Switchfly Travel Study: 4% of Americans Admit They Are Members of the
Mile High Club; Men 3x More Likely Than Women to Have Joined

25% of Americans Say They Just Haven’t Had the Opportunity to Join Yet

December 29, 2014 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Switchfly,
Inc., the technology company powering travel search/booking and
loyalty point redemption solutions for the world’s most celebrated
brands, today announced the results of a new travel study that examined
consumer attitudes and behaviors associated with the mile high club
(MHC), the colloquial term coined for participating in sexual activity
while aboard an aircraft. The study discovered that 4% of Americans
admit to already being members of the mile high club, and that one
fourth (25%) of the country are willing to join but have not had the
opportunity to do so yet.

Profile of an American Mile High Club Member

When it comes to gender, the research shows men (6%) are three times as
likely as women (2%) to have had sex on an aircraft. Women between the
ages of 45-54 are more likely than any other female age bracket to be
members of the mile high club, while men between ages 35-44 are more
likely than any other male age bracket. Americans who live in the
Northeast are more likely than any other region to be members, while
incomes above $100K are more likely than any other salary to be included.

% Male Membersof MHC – By Age

% Female Membersof MHC – By Age

% US Membersof MHC – By Income

% US Membersof MHC – By Region

18-34 yrs old – 4%

18-34 yrs old – 1%

Less than $50K p/yr – 2%

Northeast – 5%

35-44 yrs old – 9%

35-44 yrs old – 1%

$50K - $74.9K p/yr – 4%

South – 4%

45-54 yrs old – 4%

45-54 yrs old – 5%

$75K - $99.9K p/yr – 4%

Midwest – 3%

55-64 yrs old – 6%

55-64 yrs old – 1%

$100K+ p/yr – 7%

West – 4%

65+ yrs old – 8%

65+ yrs old – 1%

Why Americans (Mostly) Say No to Sex in the Air

Conversely, nearly all Americans (96%) say they are not members of the
mile high club, and more than half (56%) say they would not join for any
reason. Among top reasons why consumers find the concept unappealing, 1
in 4 (25%) indicate that airplane bathrooms are too small while another
quarter (25%) say the lavatories are too gross. Additional reasons
Americans assert they would not join the mile high club include the act
being beneath their dignity (23%) and having fear of getting caught/in
trouble (19%). 1 in 10 (15%) people confessed they do not know what the
mile high club is.

Who Thinks the MHC Is Too Taboo

Surprisingly, the American male between ages 18-34 years old is the most
likely to oppose joining the mile high club for any reason (64%)
compared to any other male age bracket. For women, ages 35-44 are the
most likely to oppose joining for any reason (75%) compared to other
female age brackets. Less shocking is that the study shows parents of
children under 18 (62%) are more opposed to joining MHC for any reason
compared to people without young kids (54%), and that married Americans
(60%) are more against the idea than unmarried US citizens (52%) queried.

METHODOLOGY

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll
on behalf of Switchfly from November 6-10, 2014 among 2,008 adults ages
18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample
and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be
calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting
variables, please contact Jessica.Nelson@Grayling.com.

ABOUT SWITCHFLY

Switchfly, Inc. is a global technology company that powers travel
shopping and loyalty redemption solutions for some of the world’s most
recognizable brands across airlines, hotels, financial services and
ecommerce. World-class products delivered via a flexible
software-as-a-service platform let clients easily launch and maintain a
complete omnichannel travel and loyalty experience superior to any
online travel agency. Tailored to their customer needs while maintaining
a full brand match, Switchfly solutions drive customer engagement,
enhance brand loyalty and increase profit. Founded in 2003 and
headquartered in San Francisco, the Company generates more than $1.25
billion USD in revenue for its clients annually and facilitates the
redemption of more than 35 billion reward points and miles annually. The
company’s global client roster includes American Airlines, Emirates,
JetBlue and LAN Airlines; IAG Avios, Lufthansa Miles & More and United
MileagePlus; InterContinental Hotels Group and Starwood Hotels; Expedia,
Orbitz, Priceline and Groupon. For more information, visit http://www.switchfly.com.